The successful integration of smart grid technologies and devices can mean improved reliability for the bulk power system, but it's going to mean a lot of work for planners and operators to ensure that it works out that way.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has proposed rule reforms intended to make integration of variable renewable energy sources like wind and solar into the electric grid more efficient while maintaining grid reliability and bringing possible cost savings to customers.
To take full advantage of smart grid technologies and renewable energy will require expansion of the nation's transmission system and a new report from Pike Research says high-voltage DC transmission will be one of the most important high-growth sectors in this market.
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Chairman Jon Wellinghoff spent time with Smart Grid News when he was in Portland, Oregon, for the Smart Grid RoadShow last week. He shared some thoughts on the National Demand Response Action Plan and transmission and grid security issues.
Wind turbines and solar panels aren't going to be enough to reach renewable energy goals. According to a Brattle Group official, the U.S. is going to have to sink between $50 billion and $100 billion into transmission for renewable integration to succeed.
A proposal for a 350-mile underwater transmission backbone to link future offshore wind farms miles off the East Coast looks promising and could make it easier and cheaper to bring clean energy to the mainland, industry and government officials say. But they also agree technological, regulatory and other challenges could be daunting.
The National Electrical Manufacturers Association has published a report that lays out the problems and challenges of winning transmission corridor approval. To be honest, it's a little depressing. But it's good reading.
Texas has quite a lot more wind power than it can use, and a San Francisco-based transmission line developer wants to build a 400-mile transmission line to send some of it to states that aren't so fortunate.
Grid-scale storage may not be widespread enough today to defer new transmission, but KEMA storage expert Rick Fioravanti argues it’s an angle worth exploring. As new technologies emerge, it may be closer than you think.
Global spending on new transmission and distribution equipment and services will reach $107 billion this year, according to a recently released market report.
A group of designers thinks the way to combat NIMBY attitudes about transmission towers is to make them look like giant people. And Crayola commemorates a solar plant behind its headquarters with a new shade of — what else could it be? — green to add some color to the occasion.
ABB enters the record books with the completion of the first ultrahigh-voltage direct current transmission line to operate commercially. The line, located in southeastern China, spans 1,240 miles between Xiangjiaba and Shanghai, making it the longest and most powerful transmission link in the world.
Wind energy projects have been stalled or derailed by a lack of transmission capacity, but a new report says it's not always necessary to build new transmission lines. Instead, existing technologies can increase capacity with little or no change to existing transmission systems.
High-voltage electricity transmission systems all over the world are getting a massive infusion of cash. After years of neglect, transmission infrastructure investment is expected to top $600 billion over the next 10 years, according to Pike Research.
Broadband over powerline (BPL) has died a dozen deaths in the Smart Grid space, yet continues to dig itself out of each grave. In this article, former AEP executive and early BPL advocate Bruce Renz argues that its rightful role is in the transmission system. Click inside to see if you agree with him – and then vote in our Quick Poll regarding BPL prospects.
Electric Power Research Institute researchers have come up with a prototype for a wire crawling robot that can keep tabs on dangerous conditions that could affect electricity transmission lines. Click inside; you've got to see this.
The transmission sector has its share of woes — regulatory, jurisdictional and financing to name a few — but a new Edison Electric Institute report highlighting its member companies' projects says those utilities are continuing to increase their investments in transmission infrastructure.
The New York Independent System Operator has reached an agreement with DOE to receive $37.8 million for Smart Grid technology deployments in New York's electric grid.
Regional transmission operator PJM Interconnection is moving ahead with a program to beef up the digital intelligence of the country's largest electric transmission system by installing more advanced monitoring equipment. A $14 million DOE stimulus grant is covering half the cost of the synchrophasor deployment project.
A new DOE transmission congestion study identified two areas in the country where congestion is a critical issue and two others that are areas of concern. The most transmission congestion problems are in a large swath of the east coast and the urban areas of southern California.
The Electric Power Research Institute has launched a collaborative of utilities and transmission system operators to gather and analyze performance data from transmission lines, substations and grid operations to establish the cost, benefit and technical requirements for improving transmission efficiency.
Public opposition to overhead power lines is a given. But some companies are working in the other direction: under water. A number of underwater transmission projects are underway with more waiting in the wings.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has given an initial green light to a plan to link the country's three power grids, but stopped short of giving Tres Amigas superstation developers everything they wanted.
The trade association for public power has joined with several consumer and customer groups to argue that RTOs need to publicly disclose metrics to allow people to see how they are doing.
A new utility industry group has formed to push for fair, transparent regional Smart Grid transmission planning. Can't argue with the mission; we'll take a wait-and-see on how they go about it.
We're getting mixed signals about the vitality of the smart grid market. On the one hand, the recent DistribuTECH conference was one of the most successful ever. On the other, a well-known Wall Street analyst recently told his clients that the smart metering sector is "facing several headwinds," including weak regulatory support in the U.S. and delays in European adoption. Taking the pulse of the smart grid industry is this week's Tuesday Topic.
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